If you haven't got an iPhone, chances are you're using a Samsung Galaxy instead. This line of smartphones has become incredibly popular over the years and is now the second-most popular choice next to Apple's iPhone range. But not all Samsung Galaxy phones are a hit. In 2023, there are a couple of notable examples you might want to think twice about.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5
Samsung's foldable phone series began in late 2019 with the Galaxy Z Fold. While innovative with its foldable touchscreen, the Z Fold, along with its contemporary, the Z Flip, caused quite a stir among the public, mainly due to their extremely high price point and fragile screens.
Over time, Samsung has worked to improve its flippable and foldable phone series, as we saw in our Z Fold 4 review. An improved camera, better performance, longer battery life, and wider front screen were just a few of the perks.
But the release of the Z Fold 5 in August 2023 gave way to a lot of mixed reviews. With an extremely steep starting price of $1,799 (for 256 gigabytes of storage), many were hoping for a much bigger leap forward.
In reality, not much had changed in the Z Fold 5 to justify the price jump of between $100 and $150. With an identical camera setup to the Fold 4, no S Pen included, unimpressive charging speeds, and a barely improved battery life, the Fold 5 looks to be overpriced for what it's offering.
The Z Fold 5 battery can last up to 11 hours, which isn't too shoddy, but this isn't much of an improvement from the Z Fold 4, which typically lasts around 10 hours on a single charge. It also takes around 80 minutes to fully charge the Fold 5. Again, not horrible, but far from showstopping.
What's more, the Z Fold 5 isn't dust-resistant, which could cause problems down the line.
This isn't to say the Fold 5 is a bad phone. With a 50-megapixel main camera, IPX8 durability rating, a large 2208 x 1768 pixel AMOLED screen, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, this phone is nothing to scoff at. But at such a high price point, you'd likely be expecting a little more than this, especially in comparison to the Fold 4, which can now be bought for much less on smartphone marketplaces. All in all, the Z Fold 5 is a mixed bag.
So, if you want an impressive foldable smartphone, you may be better off with the Z Fold 4 for now, at least until Samsung releases its next foldable series.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 was released alongside the Z Fold 5 in August 2023. The smaller portrait version of the latter, the Flip 5's price starts at $999, a much more affordable figure than that of the Fold 5 (though this is due to its smaller screen size and lower-quality wide-angle camera).
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 received better reviews overall than the Fold 5, but there are still some issues to note. The Flip 5's camera is identical to that of its predecessor, and it has a pretty average battery life. With a 12-megapixel rear camera, there's no doubt that some users will be disappointed with the lens quality of Samsung's newest flippable smartphone.
Given that the Galaxy S23 series has at least a 50-megapixel wide-angle rear camera, the Flip 5's wide-angle camera certainly leaves a lot to be desired.
With a battery life of around 10 hours, the Z Flip 5 isn't overly impressive, and it charges pretty slowly. It takes around an hour and a half to charge the Z Flip 5 from zero to 100%, which isn't ideal for busier folk who spend a lot of time on the go.
Additionally, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 boasts a cover screen (or Flex Window) that can support a few apps, but this comes with a caveat: it's limited and tricky. At 3.4 inches, this screen is great for quickly checking your calendar or texts, but when it comes to using apps to their full capacity, the size certainly gets in the way.
What's more, it isn't natively compatible with certain apps, and the main screen also doesn't transition to the cover screen when closed. Samsung has promised that further app support will come in the near future, but for now, the front screen has limited utility.
The Flip 5 also still deals with the mid-screen creasing suffered by the first-ever Flip, which can look pretty unattractive after repeated use of the phone. This has been an issue with every Galaxy Z Flip and Fold device, so it's natural for users to be frustrated that it is still a problem after years of continued development.
Which Samsung Phone Should You Buy in 2023?
If you're still committed to buying a new Samsung smartphone in 2023, you may want to check out the Galaxy S23 series. This consists of the S23, S23 Plus, and the near-perfect S23 Ultra. These three newest Galaxy S models have pretty great reviews and offer fast performance, high-quality displays, reliable battery life, and much more.
The three models vary in price, with the S23 being the cheapest and the S23 Ultra being the most expensive. These fluctuations in price are due to varying screen sizes, camera quality, RAM sizes, and other features.
However, if you're very keen on grabbing yourself a foldable phone, consider the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Z Flip 4 instead. These two devices offer most of what you can get on the Fold 5 and Flip 5 but at a much lower price.
The New Flip and Fold Duo Are Pricey but Flawed
If you're looking to buy a new Samsung phone in 2023, you may want to steer clear of the Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 for the time being. Unfortunately, these two models' features simply don't justify their price points.
Consider waiting a little while until the two phones drop in value, or hold off on buying a foldable phone until some of the most pressing issues with the devices have been solved.